Glimpses Into the Minds of Unfamiliar Stories - The Trio Era
by starlight.moon.princess
Summary: "We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand." - Randy Pausch. A look into the lives of the million people that inhabit the world of Harry Potter. No AU, warnings inside.
1. The Trouble with the Idea of Romance

PAIRING: Cho/Harry, though only in Harry's mind

TABLE: Table 7 - DARK

PROMPT: #4 - HOPELESSNESS

RATING: G

SUMMARY: Harry contemplates romance during the Yule Ball.

WARNINGS: Harry realising that he might be bi?

NOTES: Ignores canon happenings at the ball after Harry and Ron return to the Hall after overhearing Hagrid and Madame Maxime up to Cedric asking to talk to Harry.

* * *

Harry Potter was sitting along in the middle of the Yule Ball, an event that was supposed to be, in part, a celebration of his and his fellow champions' triumph during the first task. The other champions were happily swaying in the middle of the dance floor with their respective partners. And it wasn't just the older years: Hermione was not the only fourth-year who was enjoying the night of dancing. Apart from Ron and himself, all the fourth-years were dancing: Neville with Ginny, Dean and Seamus with their dates, the rest of his year mates with their own.

Ron had found himself a corner to brood in, occasionally shooting glares and betrayed looks at Hermione and Krum. Harry, on the other hand, found that he couldn't summon up the will to do the same to Cedric and Cho. As much as he wished that he was the one dancing with Cho, he respected her enough that he was glad to see her happy - and if he was honest with himself, he doubted that he would have been dancing even if Cho had been his date tonight.

The night had already been eventful. It had started with Hermione and Ron's argument (no matter how much everyone else would term that a blow up, the Gryffindors knew better. The blow up was still to come). Then had come Hagrid's stunning, though unintended, revelation, along with the snippets of the overheard conversation between Snape and Karkaroff. There was more than enough new information to occupy his mind, yet it was, somehow, nowhere near enough to turn his mind from the dance floor.

He _had_ stepped onto the floor after that disastrous opening dance with Parvati. The Gryffindor Chasers had all dragged him to dance, as had Hermione. But watching everyone with their dates made him feel wistful - and sad. Dancing with his friends was one thing, and - by the looks on everyone's faces - dancing with someone special was another thing altogether. He couldn't help but wish that he had someone special too, someone he actually wanted to spend time with at the Ball, instead of a last-minute date. If he had acted sooner, it might have been him on the dance floor with Cho instead of Cedric. Or maybe - just maybe - he would have acted on the confusing feelings he had recently started to feel. After all, according to Hermione, it wasn't a taboo here in the Wizarding World like in the Muggle one.

In his three-and-a-half years here at Hogwarts, he had seen quite a few such couples - and a number of the them had become famous. The may have been in the minority, but they definitely existed, and were accepted.

It was something that had confused Harry the first time he had seen a homosexual couple completely open with each other, at least until Hermione had informed him that it wasn't such a big thing here. It was in complete opposition to everything that Uncle Vernon had to say on the matter, and so he had taken to it quickly. Anything that went against his relatives' opinions was okay by him. But through it all, he had to wonder: how far did the acceptance go? Would the people of the wizarding world accept a Boy-Who-Lived who was - bisexual was the term he thought Hermione had used. Was the so-called "Saviour" supposed to be above such things? He knew he was attracted to women - Cho was evidence enough - but after he had noticed how fit Oliver Wood was last year, he had gone to Hermione for help. It was then that she had explained to him that it wasn't simply a choice between being straight or gay, and that he could be attracted to more than one gender. And to add to everything was the dream he had had about Voldemort. He wasn't sure that he could get involved with someone while Voldemort was looking to kill him: he didn't want anyone getting caught in the crossfire.

As if his life wasn't complicated enough to begin with - Voldemort was trying to kill him, and his body had decided that it was the perfect time to have a sexuality crisis. All when he couldn't do anything about it, of course. It might even have been a good thing that he was late asking Cho out: no one could possibly think that he was interested in Parvati after the Ball, and there was no chance of Cho being targeted for being his potential love interest. But that also meant that experimenting was completely out of the question. Maybe he -

'Harry?' Hermione's voice broke through his introspection. 'I think it's time to return to the Common Room, don't you?' she continued, as Harry looked up, and then down at his watch. He hadn't realised that it was quite so late - or that the Hall was mostly empty.

'Yeah,' he replied, getting up from his seat and starting to move towards the doors.

As he moved, he looked back at Hermione's flushed, happy face, and back at the few couples still swaying on the floor.

Harry had never felt so lonely.

**A/N: Please review**


	2. It's Hard to Differentiate Between Twins

**CHARACTERS: **Sirius Black, mentioned Harry Potter and James Potter

**TABLE: **Table 6: DARK

**PROMPT:** # 10 - DEATH

**SUMMARY:** Sometimes, Sirius can't help but get Harry and James mixed up.

**NOTES:** I love Sirius - but sometimes I think Molly Weasley had it right, and he found it difficult to separate Harry from James at times.

**DISCLAIMER:** Harry Potter and its characters belong to the Queen. I just like to play in her sandbox from time to time :)

_"You're nothing like your father..."_

Sirius knew those words would hurt Harry deeply - and, if he was being truthful, part of him had intended to do just that. He knew it wasn't Harry's fault that he looked so remarkably similar to James, but it still affected him.

He tried so hard to separate Harry from James, but their similarity in both looks and actions made that more difficult than he had ever anticipated. He could so often hear James in Harry's words and voice, see James in Harry's actions and mannerisms...He loved Harry, but he had loved James too. Because of that, when Harry acted like himself enough that he could see no trace of James, he would sometimes snap. He couldn't help but remember the mischievous boy with messy hair, the boy who'd had more ideas for joke shop merchandise than the Weasley twins combined. The boy who had been _his_ twin in all but blood. And every time Harry didn't remind him of James, he remembered that very same boy, looking for all the world in perfect health - if one ignored his lifeless eyes and the house that slowly crumbled down around him.

_"Oh Prongs, why did you have to die...?"_


	3. A Metaphor for Broken Trust

CHARACTERS: Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter (mentioned)

PAIRING: None

GENRE: Gen

TABLE: Table 7 - DARK

PROMPT: #7 - DESTRUCTION

RATING: G

SUMMARY: Ron had had enough

"Ron! Ron! Stop! Come back - please - come back, come back!"

He sprinted through the trees, running like a man possessed. He could hear Hermione's cries behind him, but they sounded distant, almost like an echo. All he could hear clearly was the rush of blood running through his body and the pounding of his heart as he put more distance between himself and his so-called friends.

_Diffindos_ flew in arcs from his wand as he fled from Hermione's voice, cutting through the dense foliage. He hardened his heart to her desperate cries. They'd made their choices - she'd chosen Harry - and he'd chosen to carve out a path for himself. He refused to be the sidekick, the comic humour, anymore. If she wanted to stay with Harry, to _be_ with Harry, then so be it. He refused to go on another dangerous adventure with no guarantee of succeeding, with no guarantee of destroying Voldemort at the end of it all.

If this was where a friendship ended, then so be it.

He closed his eyes - pictured Bill and Fleur's little cottage - _Destination. Determination. Deliberation._ His body was being squeezed - and he disappeared, leaving behind the remnants of both forest and friendship.


	4. Public Opinion

Bill Weasley knows that things are changing even before he enters Hogwarts to watch the Third Task. He has only felt this way once before, thirteen years ago. It had been a few days before the baby Harry Potter defeated You-Know-Who.

So when Harry returns from the Task clutching Cedric Diggory's dead body and claiming that You-Know-Who has returned, he knows that the boy is telling the truth. He may not know the boy well, but nobody would lie about the return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. There is another war brewing on the horizon. So he doesn't think twice about drafting a letter to Gringotts, asking to be transferred to England. He may be stuck with a desk job, but he will not be abandoning his family as they inevitably fight in the coming war.

He isn't surprised when the Prophet starts to claim that Harry is lying to gain attention and Dumbledore is going senile – Fudge has never been the brightest of Ministers. But he despairs of being able to help with anything until the Ministry acknowledges the truth, and a part of him wonders why he ever transferred from his beloved Egypt – until he remembers a conversation overheard a lifetime ago.

His uncles, talking about a secret society called the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's reply to the Death Eaters. It is a long shot, assuming that Dumbledore will have restarted it at all, but just in case –

Bill sends an owl carrying a short, not-quite-question to Professor Dumbledore, twelve words that will change his life for both better and worse.

_Professor,_

_I'd like to join the Order of the Phoenix._

_Bill Weasley_

* * *

_Written for:_

_Lady Phoenix Fire Rose's If you dare... challenge, prompt 34, Public Opinion_

_owluvr's Character Diversity Boot Camp, Prompt 40, Opening_

_glowing neon's Creatures of Hogwarts Challenge, Category: Dragon_


	5. The Ravenclaw

**THE RAVENCLAW**

She thinks that maybe she screams. When she sees Cedric's body, she might have let out a bloodcurdling shriek. But she isn't very sure about that, not too sure at all.

The only thing she remembers clearly is feeling blank. Because Cedric – the boy she loves, the only one she'll ever love – is lying there in front of her, dead. And he's never coming back, is he?

She thinks that she may have done something, gone somewhere, over the summer. All she remembers is wishing Cedric was there, and alive, and with her. She spends the summer crying, but she never runs out of tears.

She finds that she cannot do the simplest of things – like play Quidditch, or read a book – without remembering Cedric, and breaking into fresh tears.

She doesn't really remember that summer at all.

She only remembers one thing, one true memory instead of a wish. Before she leaves for Hogwarts – and she can't breathe for a second, because it's _whereCedricdied_ – her mother catches ahold of her. 'Cho,' she remembers her saying, 'it's time you tried to move on. You. Are. A _Ravenclaw_. You know that there is nothing that can change this situation – it's time you thought of changing yourself.'

For some reason, that sticks with her. She is a _Ravenclaw_. She is logical and sensible – didn't Cedric tell her that that was part of what he loved about her? And her mother's right – she cannot change what has happened. But she can change herself. She can make herself stronger.

So even though she knows that she will not be able to move on quickly – may never be able to move on fully – she stops in front of the bathroom mirror before she leaves. She wipes away the tears on her face, does up her hair, and; for what is the first time in months; puts on a light layer of makeup.

After a summer of mourning, she finally forces a smile onto her face.

Maybe she can't move on, maybe she can't forget. But she can – and will – try.

Because she is Cho Chang. She is a Ravenclaw.

* * *

_For:_

_Cheeky's Weekly Drabbles Competition, level Medium_

_The Diagon Alley Challenge, category: The Leaky Cauldron_

_The If you dare Challenge, Prompt 25. I'm Alive_

_Seven Fics Challenge, Word Limit: 300-450 words_

_Weasley's Wizard Wheezes Competition, category: Basic Blaze Box_

_Magical Objects Competition, category: The Goblet of Fire_

_Character Diversity Bootcamp, Prompt 14, Wish_

_All-Cannon Boot Camp, Prompt 37. Maybe things will change_

_AND FINALLY 52 weeks of Writing 2013 competition, Compulsory Prompt Mirror_


	6. Not Just A Pretty Face

She remembers her childhood, being praised for her beauty over and over again. She remembers being upset that that was all anyone could see.

More than anything else, she remembers her _Grand-mère_ telling her that her Veela beauty and charm are her greatest assets, and that she should use them to find herself a rich husband.

That has always been her place, according to _Grand-mère_. Nothing more than a trophy wife in a rich household.

Look at her now. The best Beauxbatons can offer, the one chosen to be the Triwizard Champion.

_Grand-mère, je suis plus qu'une une belle fille._

* * *

_For:_

_Vivid Characters/Scenes in 100 words or less, Prompt. Lookism_

_The If you dare challenge, prompt 433. mold_

_The all-canon bootcamp, prompt 24. what it's like to be a girl_

_The character diversity bootcamp, prompt 26. Time_


	7. See and Believe

It was interesting, wasn't it, that even though his best friend was so close-minded, Harry Potter could still see the real world?

Luna Lovegood didn't often meet people who were gifted with the ability to _see_. Most of them were normal, people who looked at her like she was mad when she spoke about the truth, but that was okay. They didn't often realize it, that they were the crazy ones. Her father had warned her before she had started school, hadn't he?

He'd said, "Luna, dear, I want you to remember that you're different as compared to everyone else. You're so much more special. You've been gifted with the ability to see past the veil, my dear, just like me. But I want you to remember that most people aren't so lucky, so they must pretend that the things you speak about do not exist."

Luna was okay with being the only special one, but sometimes she did feel lonely. So it was with delighted surprise that she met Harry Potter in her fourth year.

She was wearing her Spectraspecs when the black haired boy entered her cabin, and she knew right away that he, with that delightfully coloured aura, was just as gifted as she was. But he didn't believe - his relatives were like Ungoliants, sucking out all the wonder, and joy, and _belief_ from him, she could see that too. So she made it her mission to get him to believe.

It was the little successes that counted - like the time when he admitted that he could see the Thestrals. It had taken longer than she had expected - maybe she shouldn't have tried to reassure him on the carriage ride to school - but he had finally done it after that lesson with Hagrid.

Once that first step was out of the way, he had progressed faster than she had ever imagined possible. It was one thing to admit to being able to see creatures some other people could too, but she knew that he would have difficulties with admitting the existence of those beyond the veil.

So when he jumped out from underneath the mistletoe during that D.A. meeting, she had been rather shocked - and very proud. The fact that he had realized that Nargles existed, and the danger they posed when they had nested in the mistletoe was a very heartening fact for her.

Unfortunately, the rest of the school year wasn't conducive at all to improving his belief. But she was sure that she could make more improvements to him next year - after all, when you can see through the veil, anything is possible.

* * *

_For:_

_The If you dare challenge, Prompt 142, See and Believe_

_The Character Diversity Bootcamp, Prompt 29, Change_

_The All Canon Bootcamp, Prompt 15. "What are you talking about?"_


	8. The Birth of a Hero

Neville realized that something was wrong the moment he got on to Platform 9 and three-quarters. The wizarding world was changing, that much had been evident for some time now, but he had never believed – never _dared_ to believe – that Hogwarts would change too. The school had always been free from the taint of fear that had slowly been invading the world since the end of his fourth year. Not even Umbridge had managed to bring the true war to Hogwarts, and there was no reason to believe that just because Dumbledore was dead, that would change.

But on the Platform that year, the fear and worry were so thick they were almost physical presences, even though there were no Muggleborns and barely any half-bloods present. He did not know what would be waiting for them upon their return to Hogwarts, but; judging by the gleeful looks on the faces of most of the Slytherins; it was not going to be good.

When Neville saw Snape – Snape, that filthy traitor who murdered Dumbledore! – at the Headmaster's seat, he knew that his worries had barely touched the tip of the iceburg.

There were new faces at the Head Table – the DADA Professor was expectedly new, but there was someone else there too. Probably the new Muggle Studies Professor, after Snape had murdered poor Professor Burbage. There was no doubt that Snape was behind the staffing decisions. He caught Ginny's eye, and he knew that she, at the very least, had realized the same thing that he had. There was absolutely no chance that those two weren't Death Eaters. And Death Eaters in charge of children, teaching DADA – he shuddered. This was going to be a bloodbath.

By the end of the first week of school, it was obvious that the term bloodbath had been rather mild. The school had quickly become a torture chamber, lightly concealed behind a veil of detentions. Students had already started to become numb to screams of those being subjected to Crucio sessions by the Professors Carrow. The atmosphere had changed drastically – the air was more silent than ever before, and there was barely any laughter heard in the halls. Even the Slytherins had become quieter. Neville doubted that they had ever known the harsh truth of the Death Eaters. Watching classmates being tortured in front of their eyes, being forced to torture classmates; this year had changed the Slytherins along with the rest of the school.

Everything had changed in one short week. It was as though something essential had been broken within the students, stealing all the rebellion and defiance from them. And Hogwarts was reacting to it, becoming as passive and hopeless as its inhabitants.

Neville decided to talk to Ginny and Luna as soon as possible. This had gone on long enough – it was time to bring the fight back to Hogwarts.

Dumbledore's Army was now recruiting.

* * *

_For:_

_Magical Objects Competition, Category Invisibility Cloak_

_Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes Competition, Category Ton-Tongue Toffee_

_Harry Potter Spells Competition, Category Langlock_

_Wand Wood Competition, Category Alder_

_If you dare competition, Prompt 195. Iron Man_

_Character Diversity Bootcamp, Prompt 37. Broken_

_All Canon Bootcamp, Prompt 17. It all started when_


	9. The Last Marauder

Kingsley Shacklebolt was beginning to think that his job as Minister consisted of nothing but attending funerals. It may have sounded a bit uncharitable, but watching grieving families constantly for that last few days was taking its toll on him. Sometimes, he wondered of the Light had truly won the war. How could he condone the numerous celebrations that were still taking place over the country a month after the end of the war, when he saw such utterly consuming grief daily?

And today - today would be one of the most difficult funerals he was to attend, rating up there with Fred Weasley's burial. He had become good friends with Remus Lupin during their time in the Order, and today he was going to give his eulogy.

"Remus Lupin was one of an increasingly rare breed of person. He was a man who life constantly challenged, but he faced every challenge with a quiet dignity and conviction. There are no words I can say that can make you forget the grief that we all feel at his loss, no words that make this all okay. He was, in his own way, a great man. He fought for us, for the Light, even though we were as guilty of prejudice as Voldemort when it came to the topic of werewolves. For someone to overlook even the most grievous harms done to him, and to fight to defend those who have done nothing but hurt him - can that not be said to be the mark of a great man? Remus Lupin was..."

Kingsley could hear himself speaking, but he wasn't sure what he was saying. The words he spoke were mechanical - he could not concentrate on them, not when all he could think of was the tired, yet laughing face of a man who had quickly become one the best friends he had ever had.

_The tattered remains of map that people had once spent hours and days mulling over…_

* * *

Minerva McGonagall watched the funeral in a state of shock. She could hear her colleagues talking behind her, mourning the bright young boy they had once known, but she did not participate. All that ran through her mind was that the Marauders - her favourite students, no matter how she denied it - were all gone now. The last of the Marauders was dead.

Pomona broke away from the conversation to approach her. As the stout witch wrapped her arms around her, an understanding expression on her face, Minerva finally allowed herself to breakdown as she mourned for four of the brightest students she had ever known and the dreadful fate life had in store for them.

_An old, treasured photograph of four young boys and a proud teacher…_

* * *

Oliver Wood was numb as he watched Professor McGonagall turn to Professor Sprout and break break down in tears.

Professor Lupin was the first teacher in his 7 years of schooling who had managed to truly interest in something other than Quidditch. It was because of Professor Lupin that he had learned enough Defense to pass his N.E.W.T, and later, to participate in the Battle of Hogwarts. He had never expected to be at the funeral of his favourite teacher - in his mind, he had been as invulnerable as Harry. And yet, here he was.

He could still remember Professor Lupin in Gryffindor colours during the matches they played. He had been one the few teachers who wasn't a Head of House to show house pride. Lupin had come to the first match Wood had played as a starter for Puddlemore, the year after the Triwizard Tournament. And now, he was gone.

He turned his head at the sound of footsteps, and saw Katie approach him. As she reached him, she offered him a watery smile.

"Hey, Captain. You in shock too?" she asked, looking as heart-broken as he felt.

"That does seem to be the underlying emotion here, doesn't it?" He replied with a weak grin.

"He was so nice to me," her voice broke. "And I just saw his son - did you know his wife died too? The poor boy's an orphan now - just like Harry. And - and I can't help b-but remember h-how H-Harry was like his first y-year here, a-all t-tiny and s-scared. W-what i-if he's l-like t-that t-too?" By the end, she was weeping unashamedly, tears streaming down her face.

Oliver wrapped her arms around her as she sobbed, and another memory flashed into his mind - Professor Lupin encouraging him ask Katie out on a date before he left Hogwarts. He couldn't help but wonder what he would say if he could see him now, only brave enough to hold when she was crying. At that moment, he vowed to the Professor that as soon as the sadness of the many funerals started to fade, he would finally ask her out. It would be his tribute to Professor Lupin.

_A sheet of N.E.W.T results, with the lone 'O' gleaming proudly…_

* * *

Andromeda Tonks had felt nothing since Harry Potter had come to her house to tell her that the war had claimed not only her husband, but her daughter and son-in-law as well. All she had left now was a grandson who was still a baby, and a rocky relationship with her remaining sister, which was repairing slowly.

She had first met Remus Lupin what seemed like a lifetime ago. He had been so young then, a child himself. That was her first memory of him - not the worry and scar lined man he would grow to become, but the mischievous almost-12 year old he once was.

When her daughter had brought him home to introduce him as her boyfriend, she had been wary. Not because of his affliction, never that (Sirius had learned tolerance from her after all), but because he was much older than her precious Dora. But, like he had done so long ago, he had wormed his way into her heart once again. This time with the genuine love and care he showed her only child.

And here she sat, at his funeral, just like she had for the other two boys who had been both sons and brothers to her. She had already buried them, along with her husband and daughter, and today she said goodbye to the last of them.

She had never felt more alone than she did that day.

_A wedding photograph, with four people in it, two men and two women…_

* * *

Peeves appeared quietly at the funeral. This – this was extremely distressing. He had known the boy when he was in school, just like he had known all of the pranksters who had ever graced the halls of Hogwarts. Old Loopy Lupin would _never_ have wanted his last goodbye to be so dull, and drab, and - and _BORING_! Peeves had to do something about it – he couldn't let a Marauder go in this state.

But Peeves was smart. He was smarter than all of them. He was the only one who knew that this funeral was _just not right_, and he was the only one who knew how to make it all okay. He had planned this for months – had made the Weasley girl promise to bring it back with her when she returned to Hogwarts. It had been how he was going to celebrate that stuck-up, prissy, _rule following_ Tom Riddle's death. But this – this was a better use for it.

A flash, a bang. And it was done. As the people around him looked up at the ghostly figures in the sky – a wolf, a dog and a stag, like the three friends so long ago – Peeves let out a cackling laugh and flew off towards Hogwarts.

_A spell whispered in front of a class of 13 year olds…_

* * *

_The memory of a teacher who inspired the children of war_

* * *

_For:_

_Harry Potter Spells Competition, Category Obliviate_

_Musical Terms Challenge, Category Dolore_

_The If you dare challenge, prompt 81. It will be years_

_All Canon Bootcamp, prompt 50. The End_


	10. The War Historian

Marietta Edgecombe did not fight in the War. Her betrayal painted across her cheeks; she knew that she would never be trusted. There would always be suspicious glances aimed at her as long as Granger's spell affected her, and if she had attempted to fight, no one would trust her to support them. Her very presence would be a distracter to the others. So she did not fight, choosing instead to stay as far away from the war as possible.

But once Voldemort was defeated, and the stories of the defenders started trickling out, the guilt started to set in. If marked Death Eaters like Draco Malfoy – people who were even less trusted than her – could fight in their own little ways, she could have done the same.

It was that realization – that it wasn't the disbelief of others that had held her back, but her own cowardice – that would change the course of her life. As soon as she came to that realization, she knew that she had to make amends in any way possible.

The first post-war Rita Skeeter article was what gave her the idea of how she could pay her debts. The piece was typical Rita; a smattering of facts (all blown out of proportion, of course) surrounded by her usual nonsense. A "look into the secret life of the Golden Trio" – as if! Even to someone who knew as little about them as Marietta, it was obvious that Rita was spewing rubbish.

But the fact was that the only thing that the English wizarding world had in terms of historians was reporters like Rita and Xenophillius Lovegood, and that did not bode well. Bathilda Bagshot was dead, and Binns had effectively chased away all of the possible interest in history due to his dry and drab teaching style. Without anyone else to take up the subject, all that would be left in terms of historical writings would be Rita's rubbish and the like. All that would be left to the new generations would be their parents' lessons, and as a child of the war, she knew very well how those could be distorted in the desire to protect a child or indoctrinate a new generation into the beliefs of their parents.

It was here that Marietta decided she wanted to make her mark. She would make sure that everything from the First Voldemort War onwards was documented properly and without prejudice, even if she could do nothing about anything deeper in the past. The Light wasn't always in the right – the fact that she still had the word SNEAK painted across her face years after a schoolgirl mistake proved it. As someone who hadn't fought in the war, she would be the perfect person to document the truth – not only the evil of the Death Eaters and the heroism of the Order of the Phoenix.

She would make sure the mistakes of the Light and the motivations of the Dark were also revealed.

She would make her amends in this way. She would make sure that none of the mistakes of the past were ever forgotten.

* * *

Within a few years, Marietta Edgecombe had become the foremost historical authority in the British wizarding world. Neither side had been happy when her books were first published – they revealed too many uncomfortable truths that many people would rather see buried. But within the general public, she soon earned a reputation for being brutally honest, revealing the mistakes of the Light and the bravery of the Dark; placing the blame of neither, seeking to understand reasoning and motivations instead.

But the happiest day in her life was when Hermione Granger owled her, begging for forgiveness for not lifting her curse sooner, the counter-curse enclosed within her letter. It was the first day in over seven years that she had looked at her unmarked face. It was on that day that she knew that she had finally finished paying for a childish mistake.

* * *

_For:_

_The Diagon Alley Challenge, Category Madam Malkin's Robe Shop_

_The Wand Wood Competition, Category Walnut_

_Musical Terms Challenge, Category Omaggio_

_52 weeks of writing 2013 competition, Week 5, using the compulsory prompt History_

_Greek Mythology Competition, Category __Mnemosyne_

_The If you dare challenge, Prompt 31. Resumed the Backtrack_

_The Character Diversity Bootcamp, Prompt 30. Regret_


	11. Poor Little Michael Corner

i.

If this were one of those muggle moving picture things

She would be a princess and he her prince.

But this isn't one of those, is it?

Because she's with him, with the *s*t*a*r*

And compared to him, you're N0THING.

To her, you are I/N/V/I/S/I/B/L/E

Just a fourth year.

Just a nothing.

Little. Michael.

Corner.

ii.

Soon he's dead, just because of a flashing green light

And you know even this little happiness is wrong

But now she's free for you to claim

Until there comes a.n.o.t.h.e.r hero unlike you

Who is in love with her

She does not love him.

You know that well.

But she's gone

Isn't she

Michael?

iii.

She has her _precious fragile_ heart broken o.n.e.1 m.o.r.e. t.i.m.e

This time, you're there to pick up the pieces

You swore you wouldn't be late once again

But even though you have her now

She _still_ does N!O!T! love Y.O.U.

It has _always_ been him.

Are you happy now?

Without *h*e*r* love.

Poor. Little.

Michael.

* * *

_For:_

_All Canon Bootcamp, Prompt 4. Convoluted_

_Character Diversity Bootcamp, Prompt 46. Acquaintences_

_The Key Signature Competition, F# Minor  
_

_The Musical Terms Challenge, Affannato  
_

_The Wand Wood Competition, Maple  
_

_The If you dare challenge, prompt 10. Ghost Towns  
_

_The Numbers Challenge, 0  
_


	12. Conform

Percy's changing.

Penelope can see that oh-so-clearly. It was his devotion to his family that drew her to him, but now. Now he is becoming unrecognizable - just another Ministry lackey.

It is just as well that the two – the Ministry and his family – haven't been called into conflict yet. She know which would win if they do.

Once upon a time, she loved him. Wanted to spend her life with him. Now all she wants to ask (beg) him is _give me one good reason. One good reason to stay. Show me you haven't become just another mindless fool._

* * *

_For:  
_

_All Canon Bootcamp Challenge, Prompt 28. Red Hair  
_

_Character Diversity Bootcamp Challenge, Prompt 50. Gobbledygook  
_

_The If you dare challenge, Prompt 49. Stardom  
_

_The Key Signature Competition, G Minor  
_

_The Musical Terms Challenge, Cambiare  
_


	13. Jealousy Is A Bitter Pill To Swallow

She's standing there, laughing at something that _spy_ is saying. He's never seen her eyes sparkle so brightly with amusement before, and he cannot help but feel jealous. She is _his_. Just because Krum is an international Quidditch star does _not_ mean he gets to usurp Ron's place, to undermine the unspoken claim Ron already had on Hermione.

She walks up to him and Harry, laughter dancing in her eyes. Her lips are curved upwards with happiness.

'_Why don't you go and find Vicky, he'll be wondering where you are.'_

The flash of jealousy hits him with all the force of a lightning bolt, leaving behind the sour taste of lemons on his tongue. He feels unexpectedly bitter. _She shouldn't have accepted the invitation_, he thinks. Everyone knew she was Ron's. _She should have known that I would have asked her. She should have waited for me._

He watches as the happiness on her face is replaced by hurt, and it is so very _easy_ to blame her. _It's her fault I'm acting this way. She's _mine_, not _his_._

He watches bitterly as she storms off, no doubt searching for _him_.

* * *

_For:_

_The Wand Wood Competition, Black Walnut _

_Musical Terms Challenge, Agitato_

_Key Signature Competition, Ab Minor_

_The If you dare Challenge, Prompt 180. Throw A Fit_

_All Canon Bootcamp, Prompt 42. Ball_

_Character Diversity Bootcamp, Prompt 12. Dance_


	14. Another Day, Another Act

She has to be strong. Neville leads them, but she is _Harry Potter's girlfriend_, their break up never acknowledged, so she has to be strong.

She cannot cry for the friend, brother and boyfriend who are fighting Death Eaters, or for the tortures she undergoes nearly daily. She has to teach the others how to protect themselves.

She hates it, the compulsion to smile and act as though her world hasn't shattered. She hates hiding her bruises and wounds so that others aren't discouraged.

But she knows her part. So she gets up each day, and puts on another act.

* * *

_For:_

_The if you dare challenge, Prompt 19. There is always a price_

_All Canon Bootcamp, Prompt 9. Sister_


	15. Forgotten Heroes

Colin took in his surroundings with wide eyes. No matter how many times the woman – _Professor McGonagall_, he reminded himself – had assured him that his letter was not a hoax like one of the many reports of aliens landing, he had not been able to believe it until he stepped into the Hogwarts Express. The thought of a secret community of magic users hiding right under the noses of the world had been too fantastic for him to believe. In such a modern world, he was sure that something would have leaked to non-magic users – _Muggles_, they were called – sooner or later.

But it was all true, and here he was, about to be sorted into a house by a Hat! A singing Hat too, of all things! And if it could be believed, it could read his mind! This was all very fascinating to Colin – a whole new world –

'Creevy, Colin.'

It was his turn! He approached the stool with trembling legs.

'_Ah. A Muggleborn, eh?'_

'Who's that?' he asked, startled. Looking around, he was sure that no one had spoken a word, waiting instead for the Hat to announce his place.

'_You're looking the wrong direction, boy. Looking up would be more like it.'_

'Wait. Are you –'

'_The Hat you're wearing on your head, yes.'_

'But how can you –'

'_Talk? Magic, my boy.'_

'Bu –'

'_Enough chitchat, we need to get you Sorted. I do love Sorting Muggleborns, you know. So unlike the children who have been brought up in our world. You never have a fixed idea of where you're going to go, nor have you been raised with the ideals of a single House. You'll are always a challenge – so very fascinating for me to Sort.'_

'But you will be able to, won't you?' Colin questioned, suddenly very worried. What if he belonged nowhere? Would he have to return home, deprived of the world he had only just started to experience?

'_Oh, course I will. Now let's see…many of your fellows have done well in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, you know. And I the streak of loyalty in you is clear, my boy, very clear. You would do well in Hufflepuff, I – wait a moment, what's this now?'_

'What? What's wrong?'

'_Nothing at all, my boy, nothing at all. You would do well in Hufflepuff, Mr Creevey, but you would not find your true place there. No, you have a hidden well of deep courage running through you. I've never seen one with so much courage since Harry Potter, last year. And before him, there hadn't been anyone like you two for decades – not since Mr Potter's parents were here, in fact. No, the best place for you would be GRYFFINDOR!'_

Colin hopped off the stool and made his way to the Gryffindor table, a wide grin on his face. The Hat had said he had a rare kind of bravery and courage! But who was Harry Potter? He would have to find out…

* * *

**I've always thought that Colin was one of the bravest characters in the series. The war wasn't his - unlike Ginny, or the other sixth years who stayed, he didn't have to come back to fight. He could have easily disappeared into the muggle world until the war was over with, but he didn't. He chose to stay, fight and die. And, in my opinion, that makes him one of the greatest heroes in the book.**

* * *

_For:_

_The If You Dare Challenge, Prompt 710. Worn Photography_

_Character Diversity Bootcamp, Prompt 5. Magical_

_All Canon Bootcamp, Prompt 38. I will never be that person again_

_Weasley-Potter-Prewitt Challenge, Angelina Johnson_

_Musical Terms Challenge, Con slancio_

_Key Signature Competition, E Major_

_Dark Side Competition, Tom Riddle's Diary_


	16. Preparing For War

_i. Fred, George, Ginny, and the Order of the Phoenix_

'Fred? George?'

George looked up from where he and his twin were charming their products to look harmless before sending them on to their faithful owl-order clients. Ginny was standing in the doorway of their room at Aunt Muriel's, something clutched tightly in her hand. The determined look on her face immediately alerted him to the fact that something important – and no doubt dangerous – was happening.

'What is it Gin?' he asked, concerned.

'Have you guys looked at your D.A. Galleons today?' Ginny asked, her voice wavering, her fear evident.

George shot a quick look at his twin, who hurried towards their bedside drawer, staring to root through it for their long-forgotten Galleons.

George turned back to question his little sister. 'What does it say Gin?'

She shook her head nervously. 'You need to –'

'Bloody hell!' Fred's awed voice cut through Ginny's words. 'Listen to this, Gred. _H, R and Hr en route to Hogwarts. Final Battle soon. Come quick_.'

A wicked smile started to creep onto George's face. 'Do we have everything ready Forge? He asked, banishing the products still lying on the floor into the cupboards near the twin beds.

'Why yes, I believe we do. The Death Eaters will never know what hit them.'

Ginny looked from one twin to the other. 'What are you two -?'

'Just a few of our special products, Gin,' Fred interrupted in a deceptively pleasant voice, 'nothing for you to worry yourself about. Can you show us how to get into Hogwarts?"

'Yes, of course, but –'

'Brilliant. Tell us right now and leave as quickly as you can. Once mum hears about this, she'll be looking to lock you in here with Muriel – we need to tell the rest of the family to alert the Order before we can make a move.'

* * *

_ii. Lee Jordan, Oliver Wood, and most of the Wizarding World_

'There you have it, folks! We still don't have confirmed reports about Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley's apparent break in at Gringotts and their subsequent escape on the back of a stolen dragon, but you've just heard the opinion of Harry's old –' The speaker broke off mid-sentence.

The sound of someone fumbling was heard over hundreds of radios, before the speaker's voice took over. 'Holy Merlin,' he said, sounding utterly stunned. 'Oliver, please read that and tell me if I'm hallucinating.'

'You want me to read a _Galleon_?' the second voice asked, incredulous.

'It's a D.A. Galleon,' the first speaker said dismissively. 'Just read it.'

'en route…Final Battle…come quick…You're not hallucinating, Lee.'

'Breaking news, folks! Anyone wishing to fight in the Final Battle, make your way to Hogwarts as soon as possible! The Golden Trio is on their way, and the D.A. is calling for any and all willing fighters to reach the school immediately. Floo to Professor McGonagall's office – now is _definitely_ not the time to worry about being monitored, people.'

* * *

_iii. Dean Thomas and Luna Lovegood_

Even though Luna kept her Galleon close to her all through both last and this year, it was Dean who noticed the message first.

He was sitting near Dobby's grave, playing with his Galleon. It was one of the only reminders he had left of Hogwarts, having left everything else behind when he fled his home. The war seemed never-ending – nobody knew when Harry, Ron and Hermione would complete whatever secret things they were doing and actually work on attacking You-Know-Who; not even someone who had spent the last few months with them here at Shell Cottage. They had just disappeared once again earlier in the day, and no one knew when they would be heard of next.

Dean did not know if he would ever see Hogwarts – ever see _Seamus_ –again. He wouldn't put it past Snape and his Death Eater pals to extend the Hogwarts school year past June – it would give them more time to brainwash the students. Luna had told him about the horror Hogwarts had become under the Carrows, and the role the D.A. had forged for himself. He hoped Seamus was safe – just because they were hiding out in the Room of Requirement didn't mean he trusted the Irish boy not to take any stupid risks.

It was while he was distractedly tossing his Galleon that it started to heat up. He grabbed it in mid-toss, reading the message with barely contained enthusiasm, before sprinting towards the Cottage. 'Luna!'

They were _finally_ going to end this.

* * *

_iv. Angelina, Alicia and Katie_

The three girls had taken up residence in Katie's house as soon as the Ministry fell. Even though none of them were Muggleborn, they knew that as friends of Harry Potter, they would be among the first targeted, and Katie's house was protected by a Fidelius Charm, her father their Secret Keeper.

None of them was in the habit of keeping an eye on their old D.A. Galleons, so it was only out of pure luck that they came to know about the upcoming Battle.

Alicia was digging through her old clothes, trying to find something that would fit her and she hadn't worn before – being in hiding was not conducive to going shopping, and it got annoying wearing the same limited number of outfits day after day.

It was when she was trying out an old pair of trousers that the pocket started to become warm.

The message of the Galleon was all the three girls needed to know before making their way to Hogwarts. If Harry was going to defeat Voldemort, he would need them there to help.

* * *

_v. Cho Chang and Marietta Edgecombe_

Cho Chang had taken to keeping her Galleon close as the war around her escalated with each passing day. It had become a sort of talisman for her, a reminder that she had once had the courage to stand up to You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters, even if all she was doing was learning Defence spells in secret.

That year, she had known that if Cedric could have seen her, he would have been proud of her act of defiance. But if he could see her right now – if he could see her right now, she was certain that he would have been ashamed of ever having known her, let alone having dated her.

Unlike the many brave people she knew, as soon as the Ministry was in place, she had hidden behind her blood status. She did not dare to make her way out of her house to help those who the Death Eaters were harassing. All she had managed to get herself to do was to hand out food in secret to the wretched looking Muggleborns who now lived on the street outside her house.

So when the cry for help came from Hogwarts, she forced her fear down and got ready to floo to the school. She would make sure that Cedric had reason to be proud of her once again.

She just had once last thing to do…she threw a handful of floo power onto the fireplace, pushed her head through the green flames, and called out.

'Marietta?'

* * *

_vi. Colin and Dennis Creevey_

'Colin! Colin!' Dennis huffed as he ran towards his elder brother.

'What is it, Den?'

'Look at this!'

As the read the words on the proffered Galleon, Colin's eyes widened in shock and surprise. 'Come on, we need to leave without mum and dad noticing us – and we need to leave soon.'

His parents would kill him for walking into a war-zone – not to mention taking his little brother along with him. But Colin wasn't about to let the D.A. fight alone, and he knew Dennis better than anyone – he would put up a fight, and a damn good one, which would end with him coming alone regardless of what Colin said. They had no time to waste on a useless fight.

* * *

_vii. The D.A. in Hogwarts_

Neville had disappeared down the passageway to Aberforth's only a few moments ago. The students hiding in the Room of Requirement looked at each other, wondering what new bombshells would be dropped on them with Neville's return. Though they tried to stay on top of Voldemort's atrocities, Potterwatch was always just a bit slower than the old bartender at the Hog's Head at finding out what was happening in the British wizarding world.

They were listening to Lee Jordan extol the miraculous break in and escape at Gringotts carried out by the Golden Trio when they all felt the tell-tale heat of their Galleons. They simultaneously reached for the coins, grins staring to form on each face as they read the message their Galleon held. Missions to rescue the victims of the Carrows were all well and good, but nothing would hold the same amount of satisfaction as going against Voldemort himself.

It was something each of them had secretly longed for, and now, their time was finally here. It was finally time for the students of Hogwarts to go to war.

* * *

_For:_

_The If You Dare Challenge, Prompt 72. When Words Were Actions_

_All Canon Bootcamp, prompt 48. Zealous_

_Harry Potter Spells Competition, Protego_

_Wand Wood Competition, Blackthorn_

_Musical Terms Challenge, Battaglia_

_Key Signature Competition, D Major_

_Latin Challenge, Auxilium_

_Weasley-Potter-Prewitt challenge, Gideon Prewitt_

_Quidditch Positions Challenge, Beater_

**Inspired by 'The Battle-Hymn of the Republic' by Julia Ward Howe**


	17. Walking Into A War

In the years that come, he will be congratulated and celebrated for being a member of the famed Dumbledore's Army, the few schoolchildren who had the courage to stand up to Voldemort when the rest of the wizarding world did not. His children and grandchildren will beg him to tell them tales about the heroes they hear about in History of Magic – Harry Potter, Hermione Grange, Neville Longbottom, even his best friends, Michael Corner and Terry Boot.

But the most asked for story will be about the night he decided to join the renegade student army.

Anthony Goldstein doesn't know why he did it. When asked, he can never come up with a satisfactory reply. He does, however, remember that night with perfect clarity.

It was during his fifth year, under Umbridge's rule, that the D.A. was first formed. The entire school was buzzing about Umbridge's D.A.D.A classes, and how they were going to be absolutely no use in helping the fifth and seventh years pass their OWLs and NEWTs.

It was something that the Ravenclaws had taken especially hard. They were members of the house that valued knowledge above all else, and this treatment of one of their core subjects had hit them hard.

Anthony and Terry were sitting in front of the Common Room fireplace that fateful night. They had had a particularly horrid Defence lesson that day, and Terry was taking out his anger on anyone in the vicinity – which just happened to be Anthony.

'Who the hell does she think she is? I came to Hogwarts this year planning on passing ALL my OWLs , not failing one of them just because the bloody Ministry's decided they need a spy in the school! I don't care what they think – they could have at least sent a bloody Auror to keep an eye on Dumbledore! At least that way we'd have learned something use –'

Terry could rant for hours on end on a topic that he was passionate about. It was one of his greatest failings – when he was truly angry, he tended to forget about anyone apart from himself. While Anthony agreed with him – sending Umbridge to Hogwarts was a rather terrible plan on the part of the Ministry – he wasn't looking forward to hearing Terry rave about it for the rest of the night.

Just as he was about to interrupt him, Michael entered the Common Room looking oddly happy. This caught Terry's attention for some reason, stopping him in mid-sentence.

As Anthony breathed a sigh of relief, Terry turned on Michael. 'Why in Merlin's name are you so happy? You attended Defence today, you should be angry about Umbridge!'

Michael's smile didn't waver for a second. 'I've just come from dropping Ginny off to her Common Room,' he started. Anthony thought he could guess why he was so happy now, but before he could say a word, Michael continued. 'She was telling me about something Harry Potter and his friends have dreamed up. They're organising something like a Defence study-group in secret, so that we can actually learn to perform spells – actual spells, not the crap Umbridge is teaching us right now. And if they're right about You-Know-Who's return – and I hope they aren't – we'll need to know all of this. Ginny said that everyone interested is meeting at the Hog's Head during the first Hogsmeade outing of the year, and I was thinking we should go.'

As soon as he heard that, Terry's entire countenance changed, the beginnings of frown starting to form on his face. Anthony could guess what he was going to say – as much as Terry liked to scream and rant, he wasn't really much of a doer. He was more likely to sit back and watch other people solve the problems of the world.

Before Terry could open his mouth to talk about the problems and dangers that joining such a group would pose, for some reason, Anthony spoke. 'Let's join.'

Both his friends turned to look at him in astonishment. After all, he was the most mild-mannered of the three, rarely pushing his opinion on matters forward. Indeed, his boldness surprised even him. But for some reason, he knew that they had to join this proposed Defence group. He didn't know why he felt that way, he just did.

'It will help us in our OWLs,' he continued calmly, appealing to Terry and Michael's Ravenclaw side. 'Besides that, it's a brilliant way to beat Umbridge and the Ministry at their own game. If they think they can meddle with our education, we'll show them that we can overcome all of their stupid barriers.'

And if it would help them in a war that might be staring them in the eye, Anthony wouldn't mention it.

* * *

_For:_

_Chopped Competition, Entree_

_Endless Possibility Challenge, Who's That? (Anthony Goldstein)_

_The If You Dare Challenge, Prompt 78. To The End_

_Character Diversity Bootcamp, Prompt 39. Tactic_

_All Canon Bootcamp, Prompt 49. Ever after_

_50 Different Friendships or more challenge, Prompt 12. Common Room_

_Musical Terms Challenge, Capriccioso_

_Latin Challenge, Taceo_

_HP Potions Competition, Amortentia_

_Weasley-Potter-Prewitt Challenge, Roxanne Weasley_


	18. Heartlines

Nymphadora Tonks was a Hufflepuff, and proud of it. Normally, this little fact didn't hold much meaning in her life after Hogwarts – in fact, most of her co-workers had no idea which house she had been in – but in the Order of the Phoenix, it was one the most important facts about her.

One quality of Hufflepuffs was that they rarely liked to be alone. Most of them had a large circle of friends, which meant that it was extremely rare to meet a lonely member of Helga's house. Tonks, as a result, absolutely hated being alone, or feeling like the odd one out in a group of people.

So joining the Order of the Phoenix came as a rude shock. It wasn't that she didn't want to be a part of the organization – of _course_ she did – it was just that it seemed that being so young in a group comprised mainly of people who had fought in the last war against Voldemort meant that she often felt like a fish out of water.

Had Charlie Weasley been in Britain, the case may have been different, but as it was, he was in Romania, attempting to recruit foreign wizards to their cause. Bill Weasley was the closest Order member to her age left in the country, but even he didn't have the time to spend with her. He was either helping to break obscure curses which had been placed on various important artifacts found by the shadier members of the Order, or was spending time with that French girlfriend of his.

Kingsley was a superior, and besides that, she couldn't expect him to socialize much with her – the amount of responsibility he shouldered as second in command of the Aurors meant that he rarely had any time for himself.

Sirius was still too tortured by his stint in Azkaban to spend too much time with the little cousin who reminded him of a more carefree time in his life.

Thus, Tonks' youth, combined with her inherent clumsiness meant that she spent her time being passed along from one Order member to the next, no one wanting to spend too much time with the eclectic young girl. She was nothing more than a burden to them, one they would gladly be relieved of.

The only true enjoyment she received was when one of the younger children was around. But, as they were not members of the group, she spent much of the Order meetings alone in a corner.

She had been prepared to be isolated during all the time she spent working for the Order when _he_ walked into her life.

She had known Remus Lupin when she was a child – of course she had, being related to Sirius meant that she had had the Marauders as her babysitters. She remembered him fondly, but he was little more than a faint memory from her childhood.

So when she walked into a meeting and noticed the new figure – a tired-looking man with salt-and-pepper hair and tattered clothes, but one who still retained his good looks – she didn't immediately connect him with her childhood babysitter.

And then Sirius entered the room, engulfed the man in a tight hug before exclaiming, 'Remus! It's good to see you back – I hope your little stint with Greyback and the rest of his bloody pack didn't trouble you too much?'

She immediately tuned out Remus' answer, too much in shock to concentrate. This man – this gorgeous man – was _Remus Lupin_! Her old babysitter, her cousin's best friend – there was no way she could find him attractive, could she?

And then, he walked up to her, held out his hand, and giving her a disarming smile, said 'I don't think you remember me, Nymphadora. I'm Remus Lupin.'

And at that moment, she realized that there was absolutely no use in lying to herself. Yes, yes she could find him attractive.

As the days passed, she barely understood just how fast she was falling head over heels for the man. All she knew was that she enjoyed spending time with him. Not only was the man good-looking, Remus was also the only person who didn't treat her like a nuisance. He always had a genuine smile ready for her when she came to meetings, not the tight smiles she normally got from Molly Weasley, Moody and the other Order members.

Besides that, he was always willing to lend her ear when she wanted to talk her problems out, and was never averse to joining her for a cup of hot chocolate after meetings and the few missions they were sent on together.

All of these things combined meant that Remus Lupin was haunting her dreams, making it all but impossible to get a decent night's sleep

Despite all of these clues, she never realized just how crazy she was for him until the worst possible time. The two of them were on a rather dangerous mission together, and just for a second, she had thought Remus had been hit with the _Avada_. It was then that everything hit her.

It had started off as simple physical attraction, something she could easily have written off as hormones, but she was quickly realizing that she wasn't just holding a torch for the man, she was actually falling deeply in love with Remus Lupin, someone fourteen years her senior.

At first, this realization sent her into something of a depression. She was so much younger than him, and had much less life-experience – there was absolutely no way her affections would be returned. All she was to him was his best friend's little cousin. She doubted he saw her as anything but a child.

Nor was she the type of person who could suffer being next to the person they love without day after day, which left her in a bit of a dilemma. Distancing herself from Remus would break her heart, but so would being around while she had feeling for him. And it wasn't as if she could she do what she typically did in these kinds of situations – talk to Remus about it.

In a fit of desperation – the bottle of Firewhiskey she'd had helped – she sent off a quick letter to Charlie. He may not have been the best person to turn to for advice about love, but he would still be better than nobody, and she would take whatever she could get.

She was prepared to receive a letter with useless platitudes in reply, but for once, Charlie was actually helpful with his advice.

_Tonks,_

_Bloody hell, what's happened to you? That's not the Tonks I know. The one I knew at Hogwarts wouldn't be lamenting the fact that she's in love with a man who's fourteen years older to her (and seriously, what were you thinking?), she'd be figuring out a way to entrap him in her snares (because let's face it, you are something like a Devil's Snare. Once you've got someone in your clutches, you don't let them go.)_

_Honestly, buy a book on flirting, show a little more skin, and torture the man until he asks you out. There's no reason for you to do all the work._

_Charlie_

_P.S. – That does not mean you drive him insane – I know what you can be like when you have your mind set on something, and going overboard is a real danger with you. Please don't tease him _too_ much._

_Also, when exactly do you plan on visiting? Don't tell me you're too busy with the war, it's not an excuse for not coming to meet your best friend for five years. I expect to see you here within the year, even if it's only for a few days._

_I'll leave you to your seduction now. _

_(I just realized my P.S. is nearly as long as the actual letter…fascinating.)_

Reading the letter was exactly what she had needed. Charlie was right – she was Nymphadora Tonks. She was _not_ a timid, delicate girl who spent her time weeping over the fact that there was no chance she could get her man. She was a woman of _action_. And if it was the last thing she ever did, she would get Remus Lupin for herself.

(She would never admit it, but she took Charlie's advice and bought a book on flirting. She wasn't leaving anything up to chance.)

Of course, no one understood why she suddenly started attending meetings in clothes that were slightly shorter than her normal attire, or why she was suddenly cheerful and perky – a complete change from a usual morose attitude. Her sudden change of hair colour from her natural mousy brown to either bright bubblegum pink or purple brought about even more confusion. Many thought her even more insufferable for doing that – apparently it was unbecoming to be happy during a war.

But Tonks didn't much care – she wasn't going to explain her actions, not when all she was really cared about was how Remus reacted. Judging by the approving smile he sent her way when he saw her transformation, she knew he appreciated the effort to stay cheerful.

Of course, the appreciative looks she sometime caught him sending her way only served to make her certain that she had made the right decision.

And she had barely even gotten started on her assault. Remus Lupin wasn't going to know what hit him.

Nymphadora Tonks was on a mission to win Remus Lupin's heart for herself, and she _would_ succeed.

* * *

_For:_

_Chopped Competition, Desert_

_The If You Dare Challenge, Prompt 74. Quicksand_

_Character Diversity Bootcamp, Prompt 10. Laugh_

_All Canon Bootcamp, Prompt 10. Canon_

_Pairing Diversity bootcamp, Prompt 10. Serendipity_

_Story Cubes Competition_

_Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes Competition, Fainting Fancy_

_Harry Potter Spells Competition, Stupefy_

_Wand Wood Competition, Ash_

_HP Potions Competition, Grand Pepperup Potion_

_Dark Side Competition, Helga Hufflepuff's Cup_

_Weasley-Potter-Prewitt Challenge, Dominique Weasley_

_Florence and the Machines challenge, Heartlines_


	19. Her

It's never been about

_*him*_

Has it, Lavender?

It's always been about

_*her*_

It's a secret you've kept

CLOSE(to your)chest

You

**/ H \**

**I A I**

**I T I**

**I E I**

**her**

It's always been

**her**

The _special_ one

The _intelligent_ one

The _teacher's pet_

The _Boy Who Lived's friend_

It should have been

**you**

Shouldn't it, Lavender?

You're so much **P.R.E.T.T.I.E.R** than she is

So much more **P.U.R.E.**

You **D.E.S.E.R.V.E.** it more

Don't you, Lavender?

So the boy –

It wasn't for

_him _

Was it, Lavender?

It's always been

Because of

_her_

And now –

**Now **

_you _

had something _{everything}_

She **DiDn'T**

_You_

were the

**ViCtOr**

for 1once1

Only now

_he's_

Calling for

_her_

And you suddenly realize

what you didn't see

before

It's always been

_her_

_{again}_

She **dIdN't** lose

You would say

It's

**O**

**V**

**E**

**R**

for

_you_

But how can it be

**O**

**V**

**E**

**R**

When it never really

started at all

_{Because it will _always_ be about_

_her_

_no matter what_

_you_

_do.}_

* * *

_For:_

_The Snakes and Ladders Challenge_

_The If you dare challenge, prompt 101. My Worst Nightmare_

_Character Diversity Bootcamp, Prompt 48. Duplicate_

_All Canon Bootcamp, Prompt 41. Pooey_

_Pairing Diversity Bootcamp, Prompt 15. Smugness_

_Key Signature Competition, Bb Minor_


	20. Funeral For A Friend

It's the sight of George that gets to him.

He saw Fred's body just like everyone else present at the Battle of Hogwarts, but it didn't truly sink in for Lee until he saw George.

Lee was always the "third twin," their best friend. He was the first one they told of their plans for the joke shop, the first one George told about his crush on Angelina after Fred. And, in turn, they were the first ones he told about his feelings for Alicia, the first ones to know about his dream of becoming a Quidditch commentator.

But even he had hardly ever seen them apart. In fact, the only times he could remember was when one was on a date.

So he cannot be faulted when he expects Fred to somehow turn up during his own funeral. The thought of George without Fred was something he never thought he'd see.

Seeing George standing in front of Fred's casket, red-eyed and broken – that is when it truly hits Lee.

Fred isn't coming back.

He needs to get used to seeing George without Fred.

It is the first time he cries for the loss of his best friend.

* * *

_For:_

_If You Dare Challenge, Prompt 61. A Nine Iron_

_Character Diversity Bootcamp, Prompt 31. Sorrow_

_50 Different Friendships or Less Challenge, Prompt 20. Lost_


	21. Ira

It's like a living, breathing entity inside him, the anger he feels.

He first notices its existence in third year, when he fears that Hermione's interference has lost him the only chance he might have to ride on a Firebolt. He doesn't realize what it is that compels him to shun her – to convince Harry to shun her.

The anger grows steadily.

When it looks like Scabbers has been eaten by Crookshanks, it reappears. He loses his temper with Hermione once again. _It's all her fault,_ the anger whispers to him insidiously. _She should have kept an eye on that beast of hers. She knew it was after Scabbers._

It doesn't matter that he never cared about his rat. All he knows – all he cares about – is that he has been wronged.

When he learns that it wasn't her fault – it wasn't Crookshanks' fault – it doesn't matter. He is angry at Pettigrew – he hates Pettigrew – but the anger at Hermione is still there.

Because he _could_ have been right, and that's all that matters.

The anger stops him from him apologizing. Stops him from admitting he was wrong.

He doesn't think that it's a problem. Why would it be? _He was right, wasn't he?_

He only realizes how wrong he is when he betrays Harry. Because he _was_ wrong, and Harry could have been _killed_ thinking that his best friend didn't give a damn about his life. He could have died thinking Ron valued fame and money more than him.

Sometimes, in dreams, he remembers Hermione telling Harry that there are more important things than books and cleverness. It used to shock him that Hermione thought that way. Now, he thinks he understands.

The anger is still a living entity inside him, but now he knows about it. Now, he understands it.

He teaches himself to control it. He isn't going to let the anger take over again, isn't going to let it control him again.

Because the anger might forever be a part of him, but that is all it will ever be. Only a part, never all. Never him.

* * *

_For:_

_The If You Dare Challenge, Prompt 127. Several Deep Breaths_

_The Snakes and Ladders Challenge_

_All Canon Bootcamp, Prompt 16. "But I hate it!"_

_50 Different Friendships Or More Challenge, Prompt 3. Betray_

_Magical Objects Competition, Howler_

_Weasley-Prewitt-Potter Challenge, Ron Weasley_

_Gemstone Competition, Garnets_


	22. Healing

It is only after the Battle of Hogwarts ended that Harry realized their existence.

There was just too much going on – too much adrenaline flowing in his system – for him to realize the depth of his tiredness. But as soon as it was all over – as soon as the high of winning, of finally finishing this – has left his system, everything hit him all at once.

He had been on his feet without a break for the last the day and a half at the very least. Breaking into Gringotts and leaving on a dragon left him with bruises all over his body, and the events in the forest didn't help at all. He was certain that if someone were to take a look at his body at that moment, they would think that a packet of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans had been squashed all over him.

Yet, for all that his body bore witness to the suffering he had undergone, his mind felt even worse. No matter how he tried, all he could see were the faces of the dead. Remus, Tonks, poor Colin Creevey, Mad-Eye Moody…they were too numerous to count.

It had not even been a day since the war had ended, and the dead were already haunting him.

He watched everyone else come and go from the Great Hall. He had returned there after returning the Elder Wand to Dumbled – _McGonagall's_ – office, and he has found it impossible to leave. The memories kept him in place.

His mind felt like a whirling maelstrom of thoughts. He couldn't stop himself from thinking about everyone he had lost, from wondering if he could have done more, _if he could have saved them_. There is –

"Harry." A gentle hand on his shoulder forces him to look up at the person standing in front of him.

"Hermione?" he murmured, unable to find the energy to say anything further.

"You've been sitting here for at least the last twelve hours Harry," she said gently. "I think it's time you got up, don't you?"

Harry looked at her, exhaustion written in the lines of his face. "I-I can't," he said helplessly. "It's too much – I don't –" he broke off, sounding confused and vulnerable.

Hermione's face softened at that. "It's okay," she said, taking a seat next to him. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Harry shook his head. "No," he said. "I expect that's all people will want me to do once they get a hold of me." His voice sounded – _old_; there was no other word for it. "I just – I can't face everyone right now Hermione. I can't force myself to act happy."

Hermione did not reply. Instead, she maneuvered him so that he was lying in her lap. "It's okay," she murmured, stroking his hair. "It's all okay. Just rest for now."

As sleep quickly overtook Harry for the first time in nearly two days, he thought that maybe his situation wasn't quite as hopeless as he thought it was. Maybe, with friends like these, he could finally begin the process of healing.

* * *

_For:_

_Chopped, Entree_

_If You Dare Challenge, Prompt 353. Disorientation_

_All Canon Bootcamp, Prompt 22. Gaggle_

_HP Potions Competition, Antidote to Uncommon Poisons_

_Weasley-Potter-Prewitt Challenge, Harry Potter_

_Florence and the Machine Challenge, Seven Devils_

_Gemstone Competition, Adventurine_


	23. Storyteller

He gets the job.

Of course he does. He's the best candidate Dumbledore has, and the old fool knows it. There's no way anyone would be stupid enough to pass up the chance of having Gilderoy Lockhart teach, after all. A person could look far and wide, and they would never find anyone with better qualifications than him.

He's Gilderoy Lockhart. What does it matter if he has never battled werewolves, or traveled with Yetis? He is a _storyteller_. He gives the public what they want – the handsome, brilliant, and brave hero. There is no way old Dumbles could have missed that.

Besides, having him in his school will help Dumbledore's public profile also. Hiring Gilderoy is the best thing he could ever do. And he's ready to concede that the Headmaster must be at least _slightly_ sensible. After all, he can see that Gilderoy was the best person for the job.

And if Hogwarts is the same as he remembers it – well, he's always said that Hogwarts needed something more. Something that will make it _shine_; make it _shimmer_, and _glisten_, and _sparkle_.

Hogwarts needs something to make it better that a just another musty old castle, needs something to make it _better_ than what it is. It needs stunning beauty to light up its dark dungeons.

Hogwarts needs Gilderoy Lockhart.

* * *

_For:_

_The If You Dare Challenge, Prompt 82. All Bark and No Bite_

_Character Diversity Bootcamp, Prompt 15. Star_

_All Canon Bootcamp, Prompt 29. Pale Hair_

_Weasley-Potter-Prewitt Challenge, Fleur Delacour_


	24. Hurricane Drunk

**For Nicola (only breath) as a part of of the Spring Fic Exchange**

* * *

No matter what people said, Lavender was _not_ stupid.

Lavender Brown fell in love with Ron Weasley in Third Year, when he stood up for her against Hermione's callousness. Honestly, who went around telling someone distraught over the death of their baby rabbit that they shouldn't have been dreading it?

At that moment, Ron had become her knight in shining armour, just like the ones she had dreamed of as a child. But it had been obvious he hadn't cared a bit about her, so she hadn't said anything, remaining content to watch him from afar and telling only Parvati about her feelings.

She had watched, broken-hearted, as he seemed to fall more and more in love with that absolute _cow_ Hermione Granger. The Yule Ball stood out in her memory – she had dressed herself in the best robes money could buy, spending hours on getting ready, and he hadn't even noticed her. He'd spent the night staring at Hermione, even ignoring his own date. At that moment, she'd given up all hope that he'd ever notice her.

_Because there was no way anyone can take Hermione's place – perfect, genius Hermione._

And then – then, all of a sudden, _everything changes_. He's suddenly asking her – _her, Lavender Brown_ – out. And it's her going to Hogsmeade with him, and kissing him, and laughing with him, not Hermione.

She isn't sure what good deeds she's performed that Merlin's gifted her with this happiness, but she's thankful for it nonetheless. All of her dreams have come true – she can already see their future together, so clear and perfect.

But the thing is, happiness doesn't last forever. The fairytale has to end sometime.

And it doesn't take her long to see what Parvati's been trying to tell her since they started going out.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that nothing's really changed from Third Year.

She's still just a tool he's using to hurt Hermione. Lavender means nothing to him – how could she, when all he wants to do when he's with her is snog? No matter how much she tries, he never wants to talk to her. Never wants to listen to her talk.

It's obvious, isn't it? He's never stopped loving Hermione. It's obvious in the way Ron stares at her for just a second too long. The way he rereads the letters she sent him over the summer break. The way he wanders around her when he has homework to complete, hoping that she'll finally take pity on him.

Lavender Brown was a lot of things, but stupid and blind were not on that list.

But the thing is, she's been in love with Ron Weasley for a long, _long_ time. So she doesn't confront him with her newfound knowledge, hoping against hope that someday he would see her for who she is. That someday, he would see her as more than just someone to snog his worries away. And that someday, he'd let her see his true self.

Because that's all she's ever wanted. Ron Weasley, the way he is, warts and all. All she's ever wanted is true self, not the changed man Hermione wants.

(That's one thing she takes comfort in – Ron may be in love with Hermione, but she'll never love him. Not the way Lavender does. Hermione is incapable of loving Ron unconditionally.)

A part of her knows she's already lost the battle for Ron's heart, but she won't let him go. Not until he asks her to. So she uses her most desperate ploys to gain his attention – _maybe a solid gold necklace will show him how much I care_.

And then – then he's poisoned, and the world stops turning for a second. _Ron cannot be dead!_ She doesn't know how she'd live in world without the love of her life.

No one thinks to let her know how her boyfriend is faring, so she spends the night panicked until Dumbledore finally makes the announcement that he was alright. At that, she makes an immediate beeline for the Hospital Wing.

And _she's_ there. Hermione Granger, the bane of her existence.

And Ron's calling for "Er-My-Knee" is his sleep, not her. He's never awake when she visits him, but somehow manages to be conscious to see everyone else. She's not really surprised when he breaks up with her. She's known it was coming for the last few months.

That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. It does. It feels like her heart's been ripped out of her body and chopped into a thousand tiny pieces, so she'll never be able to Spellotape it back together.

But the thing is, that doesn't mean she stops loving him, and that's what makes the pain all the more worse. He's all she's ever wanted, and that doesn't just go away because she's had her heart broken.

And she can't help but wonder what she lacked. Because unlike Hermione, she loved him with a true heart.

She loved _him_. Only him. The man he was, not the one someone wanted him to be.

Maybe they were right after all. Maybe Lavender Brown was stupid. There was no other way to describe a person who'd gone and fallen in love.

* * *

_For:_

_The If You Dare Challenge, Prompt 135. Resentment_

_The Colbie Calliat Inspired Competition, All Of You_

_HP Potions Competition, Heartbreaker's Teardrops_

_Florence and the Machine Challenge, Hurricane Drunk_

_Professor Trelawney's Divination Competition, Crystal Ball_

_Colours Competition, Blue (negative)_

_Greenhouse Competition, Bleeding Heart_

_Wicked Song Competition, I'm Not That Girl_


	25. Dear Tom

You're my only friend, Tom.

You're the only one who cares about me. The real me, that is, not someone you want me to be.

My brothers don't care. They're too busy with their lives to bother about the stupid games of a little girl. Did you know Bill and Charlie haven't been back to visit _once_ since they left? And it's not as though they don't have the money – I know they're making more than enough. They just don't care.

Why should it bother them? I'm just an insignificant little girl. Percy's got the Ministry, Fred and George have their jokes and Ron – Ron's gone and stolen _my_ dream. He _knew_ how much I loved Harry Potter, and he went and warned him off me. I know he did. Why else would Harry be avoiding me? He has time to talk to every other Weasley in Hogwarts, but not me.

That's okay, though. I've got a plan for to make sure Harry notices me.

But that's not important.

The fact that my brothers think nothing of me is.

And my parents? They don't care for _me_! They only care that they have a daughter. It's not Ginny they want, but a daughter. They want a dutiful daughter who'll be my mother's exact copy. They don't want a girl with a love of Quidditch and the outdoors, who's better at sport than the boys are.

They don't want me.

But you – you're my only true friend, Tom. You know that, don't you? You're the only one who really cares about me.

I wish you weren't just a magical diary. I wish you were more. I wish you were a real person, Tom.

We could be best friends if you were a person, Tom.

I wish – but it's useless wishing, isn't it? Wishes don't come true. If they did, I'd have a family that loved me. A family that cared.

But I'm not worried. You're enough.

Thank you for being there for me, Tom.

_Ginny W._

* * *

**I feel like I should explain my thinking behind this. Ron held on to the locket for much lesser time than Ginny had the diary, and we know how it changed him. It's very possible that Ginny might have changed for the negative too - at least until she realised she was being possessed. At the time, she was 11. Combine typical 11 year old girl behaviour - which I remember very well, and see in my younger sister right now - with the effects of possessing a Horcrux, and we get this.**

* * *

_For:_

_The If You Dare Challenge, Prompt 605. Chosen Truth_

_All Canon Bootcamp, Prompt 25. If I Were A Boy_

_Hatest Character Bootcamp, Prompt 4. Dementia_

_Weasley-Potter-Prewitt Challenge, Ginny Weasley_

_Florence and the Machine challenge, Kiss With A Fist_

_Professor Trelawney's Divination Competition, Astrology_

_Colours Competition, Orange (negative)_

_Greenhouse Competition, Petunia_

_Quidditch Competition, Comets and Cleansweeps_


	26. No One Special

Terry Boot was no one special. He was very similar to all the other Ravenclaws - an ordinary sort of Ravenclaw, leading an ordinary sort of life.

Ordinary, that is, until his fifth year.

That was the year that the world became insane.

He'd never expected to be a part of a secret society of students defying the Ministry, or training to become part of the front line of fighters against Voldemort.

And yet, here he was in the middle of the Room of Requirement, learning how to cast a proper Disarming Charm from Harry Potter, while Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley – _Ron Weasley_ of all people – supervise. But he has to admit it's a better DADA lesson than any he's ever had, except possibly for the ones Professor Lupin taught.

And then, suddenly, he's running from Umbridge and the Inquisitorial Squad, and all he can wonder is how his life came to this.

He used to be ordinary – but this life can only be called _odd_.

But somehow this oddness makes _sense_. He's a Ravenclaw, brilliant with words, but he can't describe why it feels _right_ to be a part of this world. It just does.

And all of a sudden, it's seventh year, and he's standing in front of a little imprisoned second year.

Once upon a time, he would never have imagined attempting to free her. He's not a Gryffindor who lives in the world of battle and war. He's a Ravenclaw.

But the thing about change is it's not quite impossible. Because somehow, that what's his world is now. He's as brave as any Gryffindor, as loyal as any Hufflepuff, as cunning as any Slytherin.

It's an odd sort of world, and an odd sort of life, this one. It a place where a person can be of one house and yet be of all of them.

But regardless of everything, regardless of the person he once was, this is the life he wants to live now.

Terry Boot was no one special.

Until all of a sudden, he was.

* * *

_For:_

_The Snakes and Ladders Challenge_

_The If You Dare Challenge, Prompt 573. Day Of Change_

_Character Diversity Bootcamp, Prompt 49. Gust_

_All Canon Bootcamp, Prompt 36. Nutty_

_Gemstone Competition, Amethyst_

_Professor Trelawney's Divination Competition, Palmistry_


	27. The Scent of Lavender

Severus Snape watched the dark-haired boy in front of him through the curtain of his hair. Seeing those eyes – those beautiful green eyes – made his heart clench curiously in his chest.

After he had heard of her death, he had never thought he would see her eyes again. To see them again should have a miracle – but it was in _his_ body, a constant reminder of the fact that he had lost her long before her death.

It was a bittersweet reminder. Some part of her had survived her death through her son, but it also meant that part of Potter had survived too. And the child's scar was a constant reminder of the fact that it was his mistake that had resulted in the death of the only woman he had ever loved.

After the first-year class ended and the little brats had left the Potions laboratory, he made his way to his personal chambers. Even though he had been prepared for the fact that Lily's son would someday enter Hogwarts and be under his instruction, facing it was completely different to knowing it intellectually.

Once he entered his bedroom, he reached for a drawer he hadn't opened for years. Inside was a little bottle of perfume – the only belonging of Lily's he had been able to salvage from the Potters' home after the fame-seeking vultures had stripped it of its contents.

As soon as he opened it, the scent of lavender filled the room, bringing to his mind the image of the read-headed girl he had known long ago.

He lost himself in the memories of time long past, letting the scent of lavender take him away to the banks of a river in a Muggle town.

* * *

_For:_

_The If You Dare Challenge, Prompt 22. The 1960s_

_Pairing Diversity Bootcamp, Prompt 36. Eerie_

_Philosopher's Stone Competition, The Potions Master_

_Colours Competition, Blue (positive)_

_Greenhouses Competition, Garlic_

_400 Fragrant Prompts Challenge_


	28. History Books

**A/N: If anyone would like to see a particular situation or character's thoughts through the course of the book series, please drop a RM or leave it in a review. I adore being given situations and plot bunnies to write, and I'll do my best to to write each one of them :)**

* * *

'Somewhere in the misty mountains of France…'

Minerva McGonagall put down the quill in her hand scowled down at the sheet of parchment in front of her.

For the life of her, she could not remember why she had agreed to pen down the history of the Order of the Phoenix so that the public could read about it. Her past experiences with trying to write an acceptable Transfiguration textbook should have taught her that her talent in teaching did _not_ translate into a talent for writing.

But everyone had insisted a memoir would be a brilliant tribute to the Order members who had lost their lives in the course of the two wars and that Minerva, as the head of the Order during the last year of the war, should be the one to write it.

She hadn't argued, hoping that this time the book would come out well. Looking back on it now, however, she dearly wished she had refused.

Writing anything longer than an essay was just something she was not good at.

Crumpling the parchment on her desk, she tossed it into the garbage bin along with the hundreds of previous drafts she had discarded.

She pushed back her chair and rose gracefully, moving towards the fireplace. She grabbed a handful of the Floo Powder she kept on the mantle above the fireplace, and tossed it into the fire, clearly enunciating the words "The Burrow!"

"Miss Granger, are you there?" she called out, sticking her head into the fire.

"Professor McGonagall!" Hermione said in shock, rushing towards the head that had appeared in the fire. "What are you doing here?"

"I have a proposition for you if you're interested, Miss Granger. As you know, I have been asked to write a book detailing the history of the Order of the Phoenix. However, I was wondering if you would like to do so instead. I would provide all the…"

* * *

_For:_

_The If You Dare Challenge, Prompt 21. Playwright_

_Character Diversity Bootcamp, Prompt 25. Pen_

_Quidditch Category Competition, Bludgers_

_Magical Creatures Challenge, Phoenix_

_Greenhouses Competition, Palm_


	29. Born For Greatness

You've _always_ known

that you were born to be

**G.R.E.A.T**

_(you wonder why nobody else can see that)_

And in a quest for

**G.R.E.A.T.N.E.S.S**

No one else matters

Do they?

_(Penelope, Mum, Dad, Bill, Charlie, the Twins, Ron, Ginny_

_All_

_**Gone)**_

If they can't see

They aren't

**I.M.P.O.R.T.A.N.T**

_(Isn't that what you told yourself_

_When you cut off all contact_

_With your past life?)_

You swore to yourself

That you couldn't care less

When you saw the **I.C.E**

In their eyes

_(You were always good _

_At fooling yourself)_

But now –

**N.O.W**

You realise

That they were right

_**ALL.**_

_**ALONG.**_

And suddenly

All you can

**W.I.S.H**

for

Is for you **M.O.T.H.E.R**

To

**H.O.L.D**

you

And tell you

that

_**E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G**_

will be okay

_(Childhood monsters_

_should __**never**__ be real)_

But the thing is

_**Percy**_

you pushed her away

a

_**L.O.N.G**_

_**T.I.M.E**_

_**A.G.O**_

_(Doesn't greatness feel so good?)_

* * *

_For:_

_The Amazing Writer Competition_

_The If You Dare Challenge, Prompt 122. Suffered_

_Character Diversity Bootcamp, Prompt 2. __Façade_

_All Canon Bootcamp, Prompt 21. Mumble_

_Florence and the Machine Challenge, Dog Days Are Over_

_Magical Creatures Competition, Gnome_


	30. The Drawbacks Of Fame

**For Kat Ducat, on the HPFC Drabble Tag**

* * *

It's typical, everyday stuff, the problems that come with being a famous sporting star.

It's the one place where there's no difference between the Muggle and Wizarding Worlds – the treatment of those who have fame, the ones who are on the covers of every newspaper in the country, every day.

Viktor knows that. He's been taught how to deal with the media and the fans since the first moment he was scouted for the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team two years ago at the age of sixteen.

He knows he's supposed to be nice to his fans. To smile for photos, to sign autographs, to laugh at every pass a girl makes at him.

But he wished they understood too. Understood that it wasn't something he enjoyed, feeling like a piece of meat at a butcher's. Because that's what it made him feel, all these women vying for his attention simply because he was famous.

None of them truly knew him. To them, he was just another ticket to fame. And he hated it with every fiber of his being.

When he went to England to participate in the Triwizard Tournament, he hoped that his fame would not follow him there. He hoped that the girls there would leave him alone.

But being the youngest National Team Quidditch player meant that he was famous around the world. It meant that being in another country did not automatically result in the lack of obsessed girls.

He was certain that he would never find anyone who wanted him for _him_ and his fame or money, when he first noticed _her_.

She was the only girl at Hogwarts older than thirteen who was not obsessed with following him around. Every time he went to the Hogwarts Library to look for something that would be useful in the Second Task or could help with his final exams when he returned to Bulgaria, there she was.

She would just sit there, nose in a book. The only reason she cared that he was in the Library at all was that the girls who followed him interrupted her time spent reading.

She fascinated him and when, on a midnight jaunt into the Library; finally free of the fangirls; he saw her there alone, he knew he had to act to act.

"It is Miss Herm-own-ninn, yes?"

She looked up at him, amusement dancing in her eyes. "Well, I suppose it's close enough," she said. "Would you like to take a seat?" she continued, gesturing to the chair next to her.

Viktor sat down with a faint smile on his face. He wasn't sure yet, but her was pretty sure that this was the start of something new in his life.

* * *

_For:_

_The If You Dare Challenge, Prompt 480. Hunting Session_

_Character Diversity Bootcamp, Prompt 3. Book_

_The All Canon Bootcamp, Prompt 47. Yowl_

_Greenhouses Competition, Devil's Snare_

_Fantastic Creatures Challenge, Chinese Fireball_


	31. Apologise

"…_What d'you reckon, Ron? Ron?"_

Ron scowled. It looked like they'd finally remembered him, now that they'd finished finishing each other's sentences like one of those couples his mum cooed over. It wasn't like he was important to them. He was just the stupid little sidekick who they spoke to when it was convenient for them.

Harry was blundering along searching for Horcruxes while his sister was in a school occupied by Death Eaters, and he wanted to know what Ron thought about the _Sword of bloody Gryffindor?_

He thought that the entire search was bloody pointless, that's what he thought. Harry didn't know where he was going and what he was doing, and they were losing valuable time they could use instead to help in the fight against the Death Eaters who had taken over Hogwarts!

Just because Harry's family was dead and he had nothing to live for didn't mean that Ron had to abandon his family. He could only imagine the torture that Ginny was going through right now, trapped in Hogwarts.

And to make matters worse, Harry was flirting with Hermione! He _knew_ Ron had feelings for her, and he was _still_ flirting with her! And she was flirting back!

Ron had had enough.

Harry could go on with his search for the Horcruxes; he had better things to do.

Knowing Harry, Ron had no doubt he'd try and apologise, and beg Ron to stay on to help with the search, but it was too late now. No matter how many times Harry apologised, Ron was done with the stupid Horcruxes and the stupid hunt. They were in the middle of a war, and the last thing he needed to worry about was looking into the life of You-Know-Who. He had a family waiting for him at the Burrow, and a sister to protect.

If Harry and Hermione wanted to treat him like dirt, they were free to do so. He didn't need to take it sitting down any longer.

"_Oh, remembered me, have you?"_

* * *

_For:_

_The Create-A-Potion Challenge_

_The If You Dare Challenge, Prompt 124. The Cold War_

_Professor Trelawney's Divination Competition, Tarot_

_Colours Competition, Yellow (negative)_

_Fantastic Beasts Challenge, Crup_


	32. Dwelling On Valentines

It was _perfect_.

She had spent hours pouring over the poem to come up with the perfect words and rhymes to fit him, and she'd finally managed it. It was nowhere near as perfect as he deserved, of course, but it was the most perfect she could come up with.

Ever since Professor Lockhart had announce his intention of hiring dwarves dressed as Cupids to deliver Valentines in class, she had known that she just had to send one. And considering who she was sending it to, it had to be better than normal. No simple old Valentine for _him_. It _had_ to be a singing Valentine.

And she had come up with the perfect poem.

Now all that was left to do was one thing…

_Are you sure he'll like it, Tom? _she wrote nevously

The answer came quickly, scribbled across the diary.

_Of course he will, Ginny. If it was me who was getting such a beautiful Valentine, I would love it! I'd never let the girl who wrote something like that for me go, and I'm sure he'll fell the same._

If only…

Tom was just as brilliant as Harry was. She was sure she was in love with him too. If only he was real and alive, she'd send him a Valentine too…

But that was just a stupid thought. Tom was dead. He'd told her herself. He'd been killed by You-Know-Who, and his ghost was stuck haunting the pages of his diary.

But because he'd been such a strong wizard when he was alive, he was able to draw the people who wrote in his diary into the world in his memories. He could make them see what he saw. He could write back to them.

If he were alive, he would be perfect for her, even more than Harry was. He wasn't a celebrity who didn't know she existed apart from his best friend's little sister like Harry was. He knew her better than anyone, and he'd told her a million times that he loved and cared for her.

If only…

And one did not fall in love with, or send Valentine's to, a ghost. Especially a ghost no one but Ginny could see or talk to.

Bill had told her long ago that Dumbledore had once said _"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live" _during a Leaving Feast. He was right. Dwelling on the possibility of an alive and well Tom was not going to help her at all.

She had a actual living, breathing boy she was in love with, a Valentine to deliver, and a reaction to watch. As much as wished she had Tom too, she couldn't stop living her life.

Harry Potter, fame, and fortune awaited her.

She just needed to get over Tom first.

* * *

_For:_

_The Jigsaw Puzzle Challenge_

_The If You Dare Challenge, Prompt 925. Bloody Valentine_

_Pairing Diversity Bootcamp, Prompt 46. merry-go-round_

_Florence and the Machine Challenge, I'm Not Calling You A Liar_

_Colours Competition, Pink (negative)_

_Hatest Character Bootcamp, Prompt 46. Fairytale_


	33. The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth

Charity Burbage is a careful woman.

She wants to do a million things in her life, but she doesn't.

She doesn't tell Charlie Weasley that she's in love with him.

(He's two years older than her, and the most popular boy in school. There's no way he's going to reciprocate her feelings.)

She doesn't take that year off to live as a Muggle, like she's always wanted to.

(What's the point? She's already familiar with the Muggle world – after all, her mum's Muggleborn. Teaching at Hogwarts offers her job security, and who knows if the job will still be there next year?)

There're so many things that she's left undone.

(There'll always be tomorrow.)

Only, there's no tomorrow left.

Because Charity Burbage is _dead_.

(But can you die if you've never really lived?)

* * *

_For:_

_The if You Dare Challenge, Prompt 218. Careful Is My Middle Name_


	34. In Dreams

_For Empress_

* * *

Cho Chang sat in the stands, looking down at the maze. Cedric had walked into it first. That had been nearly two hours ago, and there was no news of him yet.

She couldn't help but be afraid. What if something had happened to him? What if he was-

No. She wasn't going to think like that. Nothing had happened to Cedric – he was too skilled a wizard to be hurt badly.

Right?

And then she noticed some commotion at the start of the maze. Before she could make out what was happening, Ludo Bagman's booming voice filled the stands.

"The winner of the tournament seems to be on his way out of the maze, ladies and gentlemen! The only question that remains to be answered is that of his identity. Is it Quidditch superstar Viktor Krum? The Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter? Or may- wait! It seems like the underdog has beaten them all! I give to your new Triwizard Champion, Cedric Diggory!"

And there Cedric was, waving to crowd, safe and sound.

At the sight of him, Cho couldn't stop the strangled cry of relief that left her mouth, nor could she prevent herself from racing towards him.

He was _there_ and _safe_ and all Cho wanted was to be in his arms and make sure that he wasn't hurt and-

_Ring._

"Cho, wake up! We're going to be late for Transfiguration!"

Marietta's voice broke through her sleep in seconds

"Mari-what?" she asked groggily as she forced herself to consciousness.

"Cho, you need to get up!"

And then everything came back to her in a rush. It had all been a dream. Cedric wasn't safe and sound and with her. He hadn't won the Triwizard Tournament like he had dreamed of doing.

No, Cedric was none of those things because he was _dead_, cut down by Voldemort and his minions.

A choked sob escaped her throat as she buried herself in her bed. "You go on," she told Marietta between sobs. "I don't think I'll be able to make it today."

Cedric was gone, leaving her all alone, and she didn't know what to do with herself anymore.

* * *

_For:_

_The If You Dare Challenge, Prompt 569. Dreams of Darkness_

_Legendary Creatures Competiton, Baku_


	35. Fathers

**For the 10 themes, 10 drabbles challenge (Character Exploration - Dean Thomas), the Globetrotter Drabble Competition (Manila, Philippines), the If You Dare Challenge (831. Understanding), the Father's Day Challenge, the Popular Song Competition (Mirrors) and the Legendary Gods and Goddeses Competition (Izanagi no Mikoto)**

_For alicenotinwoderland. I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

His roommates don't understand why Dean doesn't want to find out the truth about his biological father. After all, there's a good chance that he was a wizard, which would mean that Dean's not the muggleborn he seems to be. Even if he wasn't, magic means that it would be _so_ much easier to find out the truth about his past.

Dean knows they mean well, but they just don't _understand_. His step-father had absolutely no reason to treat the constant reminder of his wife's first love with the same love and affection he did his biological children. He could very well have been distant and cold instead of warm and loving. He could very well have written Dean off as a loss once he started displaying his magical abilities the way so many other parents of muggleborns did.

No one had forced Graeme Hall to treat a boy who had neither his blood nor his name in the exact same way he did his own children, and yet he had never backed down from the challenge that Dean knows parenting him had been.

Maybe his biological father had good, understandable reasons for walking away from Dean and his mother, Dean doesn't know. For all he knows, the man could have been dead and no one had bothered to remember to inform his mother. Maybe he should care about the fact that he doesn't know, and there's a tiny part of him that does.

But the rest of him doesn't. Dean Thomas may not know the man whose blood and last name he possesses, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't know his father.

* * *

**I hope you guys liked this! Please don't forget to drop a review on your way out :) **


	36. Pureblood

**For Camp Potter (Paintball - the Final Battle through the eyes of anyone but the Trio); the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition (Puddlemere United, Seeker - write about enemies); the Colors Competition (Gold negative); the Legendary Gods and Goddesses Competition (Kebechet); the HP Potions Competition (Hate Potion) and the If You Dare Challenge (286. Nasty Little Blighter)**

* * *

Pansy Parkinson was a pureblood lady. Not many people truly understood what that meant, but she did.

Her mother had hammered the lessons into her from childhood. A pureblood lady never gets her hands dirty; she lets others do her work for her. She knows how to manipulate people to get what she wants. She will never, _ever_ associate with Mudbloods. She will never be in the centre of any war that the idiotic men might cause – let the men fight and think they're charge, pureblood women knew better.

But more than anything else, a pureblood woman will always give her loyalty only to herself. The only exceptions to that rule were her children or parents, nothing else.

* * *

Pansy was exactly who she was expected to be for sixteen years of her life – cool, composed, and always the person who _actually_ controlled Slytherin, no matter what everyone else thought.

And the Dark Lord took over Hogwarts.

She was thrilled about it, of course she was. No matter how much she was supposed to stay above the war, there was no chance that she would ever back a fool like Dumbledore and his followers. But the Dark Lord's capture of the school made her face a difficult dilemma, one she would rather not have grappled with if given the choice – either she put herself in the middle of the war, something that she had been expressly forbidden to do, and gain the power she always wanted, or stay out of it like she was taught and potentially fade into the background of unknown morons.

No matter how difficult the decision was, at the end there was only one obvious choice. Pansy Parkinson was not meant to be lost in a sea of faces, and no matter what her mother felt, she _would_ take part in this war.

* * *

The Gryffindors were back. Without them and their pollution, the year had been the most peaceful yet, and just the thought of their return caused Pansy's insides to burn with hatred. How _dare_ they think of trying to stand against the Dark Lord? Blood traitor, mongrel and Mudblood – they stood for everything that was _wrong_ with their world, and now they dared to show their faces here and try to cause trouble just when the world was finally being set right.

They should have died on the run, she thought viciously. No good Pureblood should have to deal with the sight of them.

Pansy tried, of course she did. She tried her best to make sure that the Dark Lord's wrath wasn't brought down upon Hogwarts, that the true Purebloods survived the war. But when she tried handing over that mongrel to the Dark Lord like he should have been years ago, everyone who wasn't a Slytherin turned on her. Even the teachers looked at her with disdain and disgust! The teachers, who had to have known that she was the one in the right!

That was when she belatedly remembered her mother's lesson – never give anyone but yourself your loyalty. She had given the students of Hogwarts her loyalty, and they had betrayed her. Pansy had thought she knew more than her mother, but it was only now that she could see the wisdom of her advice.

As Pansy was escorted away from the Great Hall, she caught sight of that stupid little Mudblood, grinning victoriously at her. Looking at her, her vision went red, hatred blurring her eyesight. She thought she had won thought that she could make fun of Pansy, but she knew _nothing_ at all. There was still a battle to be fought, and unlike that worthless cretin, she had the might of the Dark Lord on her side. To think that a worthless, ugly Mudblood like her dared to think that she was better than a _Parkinson_, dared to _sneer_ at Pansy – Pansy would watch the Gryffindor fall and _laugh_ over her bloodied corpse.

* * *

Wand in hand, Pansy stalked the halls of Hogwarts.

All around her there were flashes of spells as the biggest battle in the war against the polluters of their world took place. She could see them fall at the hands of the righteous warriors of their Lord – that werewolf teacher, one of those moronic blood-traitor redheaded twins – slowly but surely, all of them would die like those two.

But that wasn't her immediate worry. The Death Eaters would take care of Dumbledore's sympathisers and the Dark Lord would kill that pathetic mongrel, but Pansy had another prey in mind.

If that foolish blood traitor and that _Mudblood_ weren't killed alongside the mongrel, they would undoubtedly escape and try to stir up a rebellion. And seeing how weak every non-Slytherin in this school was, Pansy had no doubt that they would succeed in causing trouble for her Lord.

The blood traitor presented no difficulty – he was too much of an idiot to be a real problem, there was no way he would be able to lead well enough to be an actual danger to the Dark Lord. But the Mudblood was different. The Mublood had somehow been granted some modicum of intelligence, which was _always_ a bad thing. The _Mudblood_ – oh, the Mudblood had the potential to be real trouble.

And Pansy would do anything to stop that trouble from ever erupting. She was a Slytherin, devoted to the Dark Lord, and neither did Slytherins nor the Dark Lord's followers have a reputation for leaving their enemies alive.

Pansy Parkinson may not have been able to follow through on all of her mother's teachings, but this was one time she wouldn't fail her. She was _not_ about to stand around and tolerate Mudbloods.

Today, as the Dark Lord destroyed the polluted wizarding world and brought forth a purified one, Pansy Parkinson would show the little Gryffindor Mudblood why a pureblood woman was always better than something like her, from so obviously inferior blood. Today, she would show the little Mudblood what a pureblood woman was _truly_ capable of.

* * *

**I hope you guys liked this! As always, please don't forget to drop a review on your way out :)  
**


	37. Secret Passages

**For the 10 topics, 10 drabbles challenge (setting: Hogsmeade); the Globetrotter Drabble Competition (Canberra, Australia) and the If You Dare Challenge (103. I Doubt It)**

* * *

"Are you sure this will work?" Dennis asked his brother doubtfully. Colin wasn't above pranking him just because they were related, and being told to walk through hump of a statue of a one-eyed witch definitely sounded like the start of something that would leave him highly embarrassed.

"I promise Dennis! I spoke to the Weasley twins, and they confirmed that the passage leads right into Hogsmeade – at the basement of Honeydukes, in fact. If I hadn't promised Alex and Grayson that we'd go to Zonko's together before splitting up, I'd have come in with you. Van you imagine, all of Honeydukes around you and no one even knows you're there?" by the last question, Colin's eyes had started to go a bit misty as he imagined himself having free reign in the candy paradise.

"Okay, okay," Dennis said, knowing it was best to get away from Colin before he was completely lost in his fantasy world. "But if this takes me Knockturn Alley instead of Hogsmeade, I swear I'll never forgive you."

"Brilliant," Colin said, slightly impatiently. "Now go on, I don't have much time before I need to meet up with Alex and Gray. I'll see you at the meeting at the Hog's Head, okay?"

Dennis simply nodded, and with one last look at the classroom, he walked into the darkness of the passage, praying that Colin was telling him the truth about it.

* * *

**I hope you guys enjoyed! As usual, please don't forget to drop a review on your way out :)  
**


	38. Changing the World

**For Fanfiction, School of Imagination and Creativity (Business Studies - write about someone's first day on the job); the If You Dare Challenge (845. Other World); the Wand Wood Competition (Willow); the HP Potions competition (Polyjuice Potion); the Colors Competition (Gold positive); the Greenhouses Competition (Oregano); the Weasley-Potter-Prewitt challenge (Arthur Weasley) and the Legendary Gods and Goddesses Competition (Zeus)**

* * *

"…And that's all, Minister. I hope everything's to your liking?"

Kingsley looks down at the young woman in front of him. She's no older than eighteen, recruited by a Ministry desperate to fill the positions of both the honoured dead and the Death Eaters and their sympathisers. He murmurs something nonsensical, reassuring her that he doesn't need anything just so that she would leave.

It's his first day as Minister of Magic, and he's already lost.

This is the last job he has ever wanted. He's never been hungry for power like the politicians that make the Ministry their home. Being an Auror was all he ever dreamed about, and though he wouldn't have refused the position of Head Auror if offered, that was all he ever aimed for.

Not here. Not in this office.

He was not meant to be the Minister of Magic. He was never meant to head the English wizarding world.

There's a part of him that wishes he could have just refused the position. Even from the veterans of the war, there were many more people who would have been better suited for this than he was.

But he did not have the heart to ask Arthur Weasley to leave his family for such a demanding job merely a few days after the death of a child, or beg Minerva to take over for him when Hogwarts needs much more tending to.

Much of the remnants of the Ministry had pushed for asking Harry to head it if he had refused. And the thought of asking a boy who had already given so much to the world to sacrifice more of his life was repugnant to him. All of which meant that it was he who stuck here, tasked with the near impossible job of pulling the Ministry back from the ashes it had become in the last few years.

Even without the questions of competency he has, the job itself is overwhelming. Some may say it's because he has no training for it, but even with all the training, ambition and drive in the world, he doubts he would have been prepared for the million and one emergency actions he has to take.

The war has left their entire world in disarray, and it is up to him to bring about some semblance of order. The sheer magnitude of what faces him would be overwhelming on its own, but combined with the paperwork he had asked for – the names and release orders of every Muggleborn unfairly persecuted – that is sitting on his desk…Well, it's enough to make him cry, knowing both the injustices he will start correcting, and the millions more that still await him.

Before he left Hogwarts, Harry had found him and told him that he had faith in him to restore the Ministry to what it should have always been. Those words play in Kingsley's minds constantly, and he is both grateful and horrified by them. The support of the boy who knew more than anyone what it was like to face horrors and give of yourself gives Kingsley confidence in himself, but at the same time, it adds to the enormous pressure he is already under – he cannot, he _will not_, fail Harry Potter.

He does not want to burden anyone else with the realities of his job. Both the Undersecretaries to the Minister are gone, Umbridge to Azkaban with the Death Eaters she so loved and Nott dead in the Final Battle. There is no one left to sort through his work with him, and he refuses to ask for help. There is no one in the world that deserves to face such horrors.

But then the pages return with another pile of paperwork as large as the one already on his desk, more information on the people that Dolores Umbridge and her crew of Inquisitors tortured and prosecuted, and he knows he cannot do this alone.

His first duty is to his people, and they would not be served by having him burn himself out on the first day at his job.

So he grabs the floo powder to contact the only person he knows who is qualified for this.

It feels wrong, asking Percy Weasley to return so soon. The boy – because at this moment, the horror he has seen makes him a boy – deserves to have time to grieve with his family. But he agrees to Kingsley's request with an almost disturbing alacrity, and that's when he realises that Percy Weasley thrives of being useful, and letting him face his inability to mend the holes that have been torn in his family is doing him no good at all.

Being Minister of Magic does not come naturally to him at all, and it's the last thing he wants to do – but it's also easy to see why Minerva and Harry recommended his name for the job. Better to be an unwilling Minister who wants to serve the public than a willing Minister who wants to serve himself.

He looks at the paperwork cluttering his desk once again and sighs. He's wasted nearly half day on reflections and calling Percy for help, not a good start to his first day as Minister. If he wants to change the world, he has to get to work soon.

He pulls out a roll of parchment, the first file on his desk and a new quill and begins to write.

* * *

**I hope you guys like this! As always, plese drop a review on your way out :)**


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